Foriegn Blood
by THE Xenomorph
Summary: The search for Zuko's mother is only the launching point for an adventure more perilous than any have known in this world.  No flames please.
1. Location

**Foreign Blood**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)  
Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related Characters are © Nickelodeon  
Bao-Fai is © Me  
Choronus Illadae is © Me  
Story Beta read by: L1701E**

_**Location**_

Zuko stared at the map on his table. It was the most detailed map the Earth King Kuei had to offer in Zuko's long and painstaking search for his mother, and Kuei had offered it up without even worrying about it being used in an invasion. That thought alone had made Zuko smile, that Aang had done so much to help foster trust between the nations once more and it had only been two years.

"Zuko..." Mai entered the room as it shifted to the side. "The Captain says the storm's going to be bad."

The Fire Lord sighed as he rolled the map back up and placed it in its case. "No more guessing tonight then."

"Hey, at least you finally have the time to actually search for her now." Mai's face formed a smile, with but only an upward twitch of her lips, imperceptible to anyone but Zuko or Ty Lee.

"What do I say to her, though?" Zuko asked as he sat on the edge of their bed.

"How should I know? Maybe you can ask that lunatic you brought with us." Mai answered, again and as almost always, with as little emotional inflection as possible.

"Who?" Zuko blinked, showing his desire for clarification.

"Sokka." Mai said, "He usually has something to say anyway."

"Let me guess, he wouldn't stop gushing about Suki?" Zuko laughed as he laid back on to the mattress.

"Yep." Mai confirmed as she joined him.

Thunder crashed through the sky outside and lightning briefly illuminated the room as Zuko bended the fire in the lamps to die. The duo then drifted off to a peaceful slumber.

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The world shook and Zuko shot awake as he quickly remembered that he was on a ship. He then bolted for the door and found Sokka there panting in shock.

"Big snake monster!" Sokka shouted in horror as he ran back to the deck.

"Mai! We've got trouble!" Zuko yelled as he grabbed his swords and raced to the deck just in time to see Sokka's new boomerang smash into the twisted face of a strange sea serpent and then return. "What _is_ that thing?" He screamed.

'Eeldragon?" Sokka shrugged as he dodged the powerful jaws of the creature. "Man, why did Aang have to be at the – AHHH!" Sokka again barely managed to dodge the jaws.

"The temple needs rebuilding, you know that." Zuko reminded as he lashed at the creature with an arch of fire. The creature then roared as it focused on the young dark-haired Fire Lord.

"Zuko, what are you _doing?_" Sokka snapped in disbelief as he threw the boomerang again. "I promised to keep you and Mai safe!" A comical look of contempt and anger spread across the young warrior's face.

"And I keep my people safe!" Zuko said as he began to dodge the powerful jaws of the creature.

"Yeah, and then you get eaten!" Sokka retorted as he pulled out his sword and charged the creature's neck only to have it reel back in pain as pieces of stone rained down onto it's neck and back.

"What the?" Zuko and Sokka both looked in shock to see an Earth kingdom battleship launching pieces of itself at the bizarre creature. The creature then roared as it sunk back below the surface of the water.

"Well that is interesting." Sokka blinked as the battleship came along side the Fire Nation ship.

"What, that they saved us?" Zuko asked.

"No, that creature..." Sokka pointed in the direction of the creature's location as he pondered what to call it. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Yeah, neither have I." Zuko then turned his attention to the captain of the other ship who was waiting to be invited on board. Zuko did not disappoint.

"Thank you for your aid." Zuko bowed in respect to the captain. "Do you know what that creature was?"

The captain was an obvious seafaring man whose wrinkles seemed to almost be lined with sea salt, while his smile was disarmingly pleasant. The man even bowed in return as he spoke.

"Your thanks is not necessary, Fire Lord." The captain continued to smile. "We have been trying to scare this creature off the coast for nearly six months now, but have no idea what it is."

"Strange." Sokka frowned.

"Very. But right now I think we need to find a dock and make some repairs." Zuko noted as he looked down the side of his ship at the large dents and tears in the metal.

"Zuko..." Mai sighed as she came onto the deck. "We have a stone slab where our window should be."

"Oh, my apologies, Fire Lady." The captain of the Earth ship bowed. "Our aim was thrown off by the creature's sudden movements.

"I'm not the Fire Lady, not yet at least." Mai sighed again. "We need to find a port, don't we?"

At first the captain seemed confused, then a sly smile formed on his face. "Ah, young love. But the young lady is right. If your captain would follow us Fire Lord, there is a small port town nearby."

"Of course." Zuko said as he bowed and nodded to Sokka, who went off to deliver the message to the captain.

"Just keep a safe distance in case that creature comes back." The Earth Captain warned as he got back onto his ship.

"Wait, what creature?" Mai blinked as she looked down the side of the ship. The annoyed soon to be Fire Lady then punched Zuko in the shoulder. "Next time wake me up!"

"I yelled for you to wake up!" Zuko exclaimed as he rubbed his shoulder.

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Less than half an hour passed, and Zuko now sat at the docks while his captain negotiated a fair repair cost for the boat. He looked at the buildings in the village, and sighed as the people stared cautiously at the ship. Looks of fear crossed their faces, and Zuko's sigh became a heavy admission to himself that his people still had a long ways to go before the war was forgotten.

"Let's go eat!" Sokka suggested as he came down the dock.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Mai said.

"Actually, I think it's a good idea." Zuko added as he stood up, "As long as it's just us, though. I don't want to scare these people."

"Well, alright." Mai reluctantly agreed as she walked alongside her boyfriend.

As the trio made their way into the town, Sokka stopped a man and asked for directions to the best tavern. The young warrior promptly received directions to a building called "The Solid Sun". When they made it to the building, Zuko was surprised to see a slight element of Fire Nation influence in the building's design, but he brushed the feeling off as he entered the building.

"Welcome!" A young boy, about seven years old, smiled up at the trio. "Follow me, I'll take you to your table."

"Well, that's nice." Sokka smiled in approval.

"It's how mama wants the place run." The boy explained as they came to a medium sized table. "I'll bring you some water, then mama will be around to take your order."

"Thank you." Zuko said with a smile. "May I have some Jasmine Tea instead?"

"Sure, mama keeps a lot anyway." The boy answered as he energetically dashed to the back.

"So how long do you think the repairs will be?" Mai asked Sokka as they waited.

"Well that depends on the captain and the Fire Benders on board, but no more than a day or two." Sokka remembered.

"Here you go!" The young boy grinned as he came back with both the water and the tea. "Mama had some on the stove already so she said to use that." He gave Zuko the cup and tried to carefully lift the pot, but was obviously struggling with the low angle he had.

"I've got it." Zuko smiled as he gently took the pot from the boy and poured the tea. "There you go. Thank your mother for me."

"Oh she'll be out in a minute so you can thank her yourself." The boy said as he handed the trio their menus. "Now I gotta go make sure Muak doesn't burn table nine's food." The boy seemed to roll his eyes in frustration.

"Well what are you going to get, Zuko?" Sokka asked. "I want the boar-q-pine roast!"

"Not surprising..." Mai snorted. "I'll just have their crab puffs."

"Komodo Rhino sausage?" Zuko blinked. "Must be a taste we left here..." Zuko sighed.

"Leaving different cuisines behind is a lot better than bodies." Mai countered sagely.

"I know, but..." Zuko huffed. "It just goes to show how much damage we did." He let his head hit the table in a sign of despair.

Then Sokka noticed the owner of the tavern was standing by the table.

"I'll have the boar-q-pine roast, ma'am." Sokka ordered.

"Crab puffs for me." Mai said as she handed the woman her menu.

Zuko remained as he was and didn't say anything.

"Come on, she's waiting for your order." Sokka shook his friend's shoulder. "Zuko!"

The woman's pad of paper dropped as soon as Sokka said his friend's name.

"Sokka, you idiot." Mai huffed, smacking the warrior's arm away from the Fire Lord. "He didn't want people to know who he was on this trip!"

"Oh, right." Sokka realized his mistake too late.

Zuko pulled himself to look at their hostess in an attempt to reason with the woman, whom he assumed was terrified of the Fire Lord being in her restaurant. Instead he froze in shock and awe as the two locked eyes. Mai then looked at their hostess for the first time and though it took her a few seconds, the Fire Lady's face showed awe. Sokka's jaw just dropped in amazement as he realized who was standing before them.

"_Mother?_" Zuko breathed in amazement.

* * *

**AN: Normally I write X-Men stuff, normally I write INSANE stuff. One of my few attempts at a story you can comprehend is about to begin.**  
**Some background info though, Choronus Illadae is an OC of mine meant to replace John Constantine in my own DCAU world. The problem is he's pretty much just as bad if not WORSE than Constantine. As such I figured the first story I should write him in should depict him in a slightly softer light as the things he normally prone to tend to be more villainous than heroic.**


	2. Reunion

**Foreign Blood**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)  
Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related Characters are © Nickelodeon  
Bao-Fai is © Me  
Choronus Illadae is © Me  
Story Beta read by: L1701E**

_**Reunion**_

"Z-zuko..." Ursa was obviously shocked, and so was the trio, but only Sokka was seemingly able to speak.

"I don't believe this! We set out for a four-month search of the Earth Kingdom, and we find your mother in the first two weeks?" Sokka sighed, "Man, where was this luck when we needed to find Aang's bending masters?"

"Sokka." Mai sighed. "Be quiet."

"Hey, you're not the boss of me!" Sokka snapped indignantly right before Mai grabbed him by the ear and brought him face first into the table.

"I take that back. Apparently all the women I know are in fact the boss of me." Sokka groaned as he rubbed his head and mumbled about how he wished he had convinced his own girlfriend to join them.

"What are you doing here?" Ursa asked as she fell to her knees.

Zuko wasted little time joining her on the ground. "I came to find you, mother."

"I do not deserve to be found." Ursa's face filled with tears.

"Mother, you do." Zuko said as he stood her up and sat her on his chair as the patrons began to notice the hostess was unavailable, and they seemingly left of their own accord with no complaints angry looks.

"Bao." Ursa called back to the kitchen. "We're closing for the day."

"Okay!" The boy from earlier called back.

Zuko looked to the back, and then quickly to his mother before doing a double take. "Mother, please tell me what happened?" Ursa looked up at her oldest child before the tears in her eyes overwhelmed her.

"I killed your grandfather to spare your life."

"I know _that,_ mother. I meant what happened afterward?" Zuko asked as the young boy, Bao, emerged from the back and noticed his mother crying.

"Mama, are you hurt?" Bao ran to Ursa. Again Zuko paused as his mind processed what was going on.

"I have a little brother?" Zuko realized.

"Yes, Zuko." Ursa smiled to both her sons. "Bao...this is Zuko, your older brother." Bao only looked up at Zuko briefly before looking back at his mother.

"He's Fire Nation, though."

"So am I, my little one." Ursa admitted with a weak smile.

"Is that why dad had to keep protecting you?" Bao asked.

"Yes." Ursa nodded.

"I have a younger brother and a _step-father?_" Zuko's jaw dropped in shock.

"No, Chen died during the war." Ursa explained as Bao and Zuko continued to keep looking to each other and then their mother.

"This is going to be a long confusing tale, isn't it?" Sokka groaned.

"Sokka, shut up." Zuko demanded. Sokka merely shrugged. "Why didn't you come back?" Zuko asked as he looked at his mother and newly discovered brother.

"Zuko, I took a life." Ursa reminded as she hugged Bao closer, "All that awaits me in the Fire Nation is shame."

"No." The Fire Lord shook his head. "Family awaits you. I thought you were dead for so long..." Zuko lost strength in his legs and fell to his knees.

"It would have been better if you never found me." Ursa bowed her head shamefully.

"No it wouldn't!" Bao spoke up. "He missed you, mama. Why would you want him sad?"

"Bao..." Ursa grimaced. "I wouldn't."

"So let's go with brother!" Bao cried out. "I've always wanted to see the Fire Nation."

"I can't..." Ursa seemed to choke on her tears.

Zuko took a breath before continuing. This piece of news was going to hit his mother hard. "Azula has gone mad."

"What?" Ursa's breath was a sharp stop in the conversation.

"At the end of the war, her mind couldn't take losing." The scarred Fire Lord looked down in shame. "She had to be secured for her own safety, and the Avatar was forced to remove her bending ability as well."

There was a stiff silence in the tavern before Bao spoke once more. "Mama, do I have a big sister, too?"

"Yes Bao..." Ursa looked at Zuko. "But she is sick, it seems."

"I got that part." Bao nodded. "So shouldn't you go make it better for her like you did when I got sea-fever?"

"Mother, please. We need you." Zuko was openly crying now.

"Mama..." Bao seemed to be joining him. "Please?"

Ursa looked to the eyes of both her sons. "I will pack tonight."

Zuko's smile was enough to make even Mai smile.

"But first..." Ursa looked to Mai, "Who is this lovely young lady?"

"You don't remember me?" Mai smiled warmly. "Azula used to invite Ty Lee and I over all the time." Ursa laughed as she wiped the tears of sadness from her eyes.

"Mai, I was joking. I remember you."

"Yeah, they're an item now." Sokka added.

"And who might you be?" Ursa asked as Bao crawled off her lap and sat next to Zuko on the floor.

"I'm Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, Warrior and genius extraordinaire!" Sokka proudly proclaimed.

"He's a friend of mine mother, and of the Avatar's as well." Zuko introduced proudly.

"Yeah, I was there when he whooped on Ozai!" Sokka laughed before realizing he was talking to Ozai's former wife. "Uh, I mean..."

"It's all right. Ozai is a cold and cruel man." Ursa said.

"Well..." Sokka rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. "I'll be on the ship." The genius warroir got up to try and leave.

"I think I should go, too." Mai said as she got up to follow.

"Nonsense, the both of you sit and stay." Ursa stood up. "I'll make us all a big dinner, and tomorrow I'll give Muak the tavern. I'm sure he'll take good care of it." Without another word spoken, Ursa stood up and went back to the rear of the building.

"Do you really know the Avatar?" Bao looked up at the Fire Lord in curiosity.

"We're friends." Zuko confirmed with a smile.

"Awesome." Bao smiled back.

"You know, for a little kid who just found out he has a brother and sister his mom has been keeping secret, you're awfully calm." Sokka noted with a curious look.

"Are you kidding me! I always wanted a brother and sister!" Bao then realized something. "Is Azula nice?" Zuko, Mai and even Sokka froze at the question.

"Oh, that's not good." Bao seemed slightly depressed.

"Sorry, kiddo." Sokka sighed.

"It's complicated." Zuko glared at Sokka.

"What?" Sokka asked defensively.

"She's always had a vicious streak, and honestly I think my father fostered that, and then..." Zuko sighed.

"Snap goes the mind?" Sokka teased, obviously trying to make his friend angry.

"Yeah, pretty much." Zuko nodded.

"Wow." Bao blinked. "What happened?"

"Her own cruelty caught up with her." Mai said.

"So what happens if mama helps her get better?" Bao asked.

"Honestly, Bao, I have no idea." Zuko confessed, "She's not a good person, but if there's a chance she can change...we owe it to her to give her that chance."

"Sure, we gave you two chances." Sokka snickered, only to receive another glare from Zuko. "Should I just start chewing on my feet?"

"How is that any different than usual?" Mai quipped with an imperceptible smirk.

"Not much." Sokka admitted.

"What do you mean he got two chances?" Bao blinked.

"I wasn't always a friend of the Avatar. When I first found him, I was trying to capture him." Zuko explained, a look of distant shame crossing his face. "My father had me believing that doing so would allow me back into his good graces and restore my 'honor'. It was a cruel lie and a trick, and eventually I saw that."

"Your dad sounds mean." Bao sighed.

"He was the previous Fire Lord." Zuko frowned.

"Good point." Bao nodded in understanding. Zuko then stood up.

"I'm going to talk with my mother." He looked to his friends, then to Bao. "Our mother."

"Ok, but she's gonna make you help her cook." Bao warned, rolling his eyes in boredom.

In the kitchen, Ursa was busy cutting up several fish and steaming a pot of vegetables. Zuko smiled as he watched his mother cook. He had never seen her do any work in all of his life, but he could see the passion she put into the cooking.

"If you're going to be in the kitchen, you'll need to help." Ursa said quietly. Zuko merely smiled as he grabbed a knife and began to chop another fish up. "You can cook?" Ursa seemed both surprised and pleased by this revelation.

"Uncle taught me while I was in exile. I make good tea too, but not as good as his." Zuko smiled.

"Zuko." Ursa seemed almost afraid to talk to her son. "The scar?"

"Father." Zuko responded simply. It was all he needed to say about it. "I used to think of it as a mark of shame. Now it's a mark of all the trials I went through." Zuko then noticed his mother's knuckles whiten as she held her knife.

"Never let me near that man. Ever." Ursa said, a dangerous tinge to her voice.

"I know." Zuko nodded. "Azula's in a separate facility. One that's trying to help her."

"My poor baby girl..." Ursa sniffed. "She hates me, doesn't she?" Zuko looked down at the fish.

"I don't know." He was clearly lying, and his mother's smile told him she could tell.

"I am so sorry I left you both." Ursa sniffled again as Zuko led her to a chair.

"Let me cook while we talk." Zuko offered. "Just tell me what to do."

"Well the fish is sufficiently chopped, sprinkle those spices over them." Ursa ordered with a smile. "How is your uncle?"

"He's got his own tea shop in Bae Sing Se." Zuko chuckled, "And somehow he convinced one of the guards from the prison where he was kept to join him there."

"Oh, he must make good tea." Ursa grinned.

"Actually, _she's _more of a cook and a hostess." Zuko answered. "And apprentice."

"Your uncle always did have a way with women." Ursa's weak smile seemed to become slightly stronger. "Now stick it in the oven and we'll wait while we talk."


	3. Return Home

**Foreign Blood**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)  
Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related Characters are © Nickelodeon  
Bao-Fai is © Me  
Choronus Illadae is © Me  
Story Beta read by: L1701E**

_**Return Home**_

Zuko stood on his balcony before his people as his mother and brother stood next to him, his people smiling and cheering at the return of the gentle Fire Nation matriarch. Mai was also there, quietly smiling to herself as Zuko looked out upon his nation. He could only foresee good things from here on out.

"Zuko..." Ursa smiled at her son, and he turned to see Aang's head on his mother's body.

The dark-haired young man's eyes then shot open as he realized Mai was curled up next to him. They were still on the voyage back home. He sighed as he tried to dismiss the odd dream, but Mai had felt him wake up.

"What happened in this one?" She asked with an amused smile.

"Aang's head on my mother's body." Zuko explained, slightly shaking his head in disbelief.

"You are messed up." She said with a playful yawn.

Zuko looked out the window. It was almost sunrise, and he wanted to be ready for breakfast, but he also didn't want to leave his comfortable bed and sleepy girlfriend. "We should get married now." He said from seemingly nowhere.

Mai's eyes flew open. "Now? _Now_ you bring up getting married." She sat up in the bed and tossed her pillow at his face.

"We found my mother." Zuko gave a weak smile as the tossed the pillow back.

"I know, and I really should maim you for making me wait this long!" Mai almost shouted, which meant she only slightly raised her voice.

"I'm surprised you haven't." Zuko smiled.

"So when do you want to get married?" Mai asked.

"How about tonight?" Zuko suggested.

"We're still at sea." Mai reminded.

"So?" Zuko said, "It'll be small..."

"Ty Lee won't be there..." Mai said. "Same with your friends."

"Yeah, you're right." Zuko admitted. "How about after my mother has talked with Azula for a bit?"

"Three months." Mai said.

"Fair enough." Zuko smiled as he pulled Mai back down to him.

"I want to do the planning." Mai said. "No fancy royal planners, and you keep my mother away from the plans."

"What about my mother?" Zuko asked.

"Your mother won't try to force her way into it, will she?" Mai groaned.

"Good point." Zuko smiled.

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Azula raged angrily at the doctors that tried to calm her. She had already broken two bones this week, just through kicks and headbutts, and she just smiled fiercely as she anticipated more doctors to fight. Then the ground of her room grabbed hold of her feet. The institution's overseer had been called in, and Azula could already feel the rock cuffs around her arms loosen.

"Overseer, why don't you stop with the Earthbending and take me on!" Azula shouted with a crazed glare as a tall woman with a dark green and black overcoat walked into the room.

"We're trying to help you, Princess Azula." The Overseer said with a smile as she placed a tray on the ground. "Your anger is all consuming."

"I AM THE FIRELORD!" The incensed Azula roared. "He stole it from me! He destroyed the FIRE NATION!"

"You must accept what has passed." The calm woman said as she moved the tray to the angered princess.

"I'll accept it when I can kill my brother and that PEASENT waterbender!" Azula shouted.

"I will leave the food for you, princess." The Overseer said as she stood and turned to leave, then she stopped as both she and Azula heard the guards fighting with someone down the hall.

The Overseer quickly slammed the door shut as she exited. Azula was intrigued by the sound of fighting, and quickly moved to the door when her earth shackles fell away. At the door, she was surprised to see the Overseer fly through the air past her door and make a satisfying crunch at the end of the hall. Then several men in Fire Nation Army uniforms filled her sight. For the first time in two years, the insane former ruler smiled.

"Back away, my Fire Lord." The lead soldier commanded. Azula's smile widened as she went to the rear of her room.

"We must blast the door down, as the Avatar removed our Bending." The soldier explained as she heard a small blasting charge light. Then a brilliant flash filled the room.

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Another reality...

"Son of a bitch!" The voice of an impatient young man snapped as his foot made contact with a metal frame.

"Told you it wouldn't open that way." A compassionate, yet annoyed female snorted as she pushed the door open to reveal a glowing purple orb circled by the four rings comprised of the four elements. "By Hera!"

"Yeah, tell the boy scout not to come down just yet." The impatient voice sighed. "I think it's a bomb."

"But it's magic, right?" The female asked.

"Magic bomb." The male confirmed as a glowing light flew from his pocket. "T'era, go tell..."

"I'm right here." A gruff, dark voice caused the impatient young man to jump.

"SERIOUSLY!" The young man demanded in indignation. "Stop doing that! Anyway, go tell the others to clear people out and get Dr. Asshat here, I'll need some help."

"What are you going to do?" The female asked.

"Aww, you actually care." The young man mocked his female companion.

"I care that you might set it off." The female responded angrily.

"Yeah, I'm not going to be touching it." The young man said. "Just want to be able to try and contain it should it go off."

"A good plan." The gruff voice complimented as he handed the young man several small sheets of paper covered in Chinese characters.

"Chi spells. Still learning, but thanks." The young man nodded in gratitude.

"If all else fails, use the red one." The gruff voice instructed. "It'll teleport you."

"Yeah..." The young man said. "I'll stick with the Ancient Egyptian magic, thank you." As his two companions left, the young man sat in the doorway to the room and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He noted, ruefully, that he was down to three of his favorite brand of portable toxic smoke sticks. Still, he pulled one out, spoke a simple word, and the end of the cigarette lit up.

That was when the circle of fire began to pulse.

"Shit." The young man cursed as he got up to run...only he couldn't run. The ground held him in place as a terrible wind blew him farther into the room which soon began to fill up with water as the purple orb in the center began to cycle between four colors each associated with a strange elemental like symbol.

The young man immediately pulled out the Chi spells his gruff sounding friend had given him, in hopes he could teleport out of the room, though that plan quickly fell to pieces as the papers began another chain reaction that caused the orb to freeze and turn into an image of a young girl in what looked like a jail cell where the ground literally held her in place.

"Horus, I swear to you, if wacky hijinks ensue I'm seriously going to break your kneecaps." The young man grumbled under his breath as the orb grew and then surrounded him.


	4. Captured birds

**Foreign Blood**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)  
Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related Characters are © Nickelodeon  
Bao-Fai is © Me  
Choronus Illadae is © Me  
Story Beta read by: L1701E**

_**Captured birds**_

"Who is that?" Azula shouted to the soldiers as the light died down and she saw the man on his knees and hands, coughing up small volumes of water.

"Oh, the gods are gonna hear about this..." The man groaned right before he collapsed.

"An extra ticket out of here." The lead soldier smiled viciously.

"Good thinking." Azula's grin matched the soldier's, "Now get someone to undo these cuffs."

The soldiers laughed before the leader spoke up. "I don't think so, Princess." He removed his helmet to reveal the face of a man who wore an Earth Kingdom bandanna. He was a large man, almost as large as the actor who played Toph in the play her father had commissioned to tell the tale of his eventual "victory" over the Avatar.

"What's going on? Who are you?" Azula barked angrily.

"Well we aren't the Dai Li." The leader answered with a smirk. "And you're our ticket to a lifetime of riches."

"What, you're going to ransom me?" Azula laughed. "Go ahead, my brother won't ever pay." She noticed the man stirring as two soldier's tied his arms tight.

"Oh..." The man noticed his predicament and the leader stared at him in obvious contempt.

"Well if your brother won't pay...we could always find _other_ uses for you." The man was glaring at Azula's body.

"You try it." Azula shot back.

"'Scuse me..." The man raised a hand as he obviously tried to shake his disorientation off. "You just threaten to rape the young lady?"

"Maybe I did." The leader retorted, crossing his arms.

"Just wanted to make sure." The young man said as he then spouted a single word that cause a small jet of flame to fly at the leader and then die out before reaching him. The man's eyes went wide with surprise at the lack of power in the flame.

"Heh, lost your strength Firebender?" The leader smirked as he backhanded the man into unconsciousness. He turned back to the crazed ex-empress. "You going to come peacefully or does your guard here get more rough treatment?" The leader asked.

"Normally I'd just let you kill him seeing as he's not my guard, but at least he has some honor." Azula glared at her new captors. "Lead on." She said as the leader pushed her forward, then he picked up the man who had simply appeared and hoisted him over his shoulders.

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Zuko had just returned from his highly successful search and was busy celebrating his mother's return with his new fiancée when a messenger ran into his room. Zuko took immediate notice of the panting and frantic man.

"What's wrong?" The Fire Lord half-demanded.

"Sir, Princess Azula..." He gulped down air as if drowning in the sea.

"She escaped..." Zuko had been dreading this possibility.

"No sir, she's been kidnapped." The messenger presented a scroll, his hands shaking like a tree in a windstorm. Zuko only read the scroll for a second before sighing in defeat.

"What am I going to tell my mother?" He then walked off to his mother's room. He stopped at the door to his mother's new room, the old one having been heavily damaged when he fought Azula in an Agni Ki, and knocked lightly.

"Come in." His mother said cheerfully, but her cheer faded when her son opened the door and she saw his face.

"Mother..." Zuko's eyes never left the ground. "Azula..."

"Is she all right?" Ursa asked, her face paling from all the possible thoughts.

"She was taken." Zuko announced, more than a tinge of shame in his voice.

"By who, those still loyal to her?" Ursa did not know what to expect.

"Angry earthbenders." Zuko explained as he handed his mother the scroll. "They say if we don't pay triple the reparations the other occupied cities are getting..."

"They'll kill her." Ursa deduced. She hadn't needed to read the scroll to figure out the rest.

"Worse." Zuko's voice was filled with a combination of horror and anger. At this Ursa snatched unrolled the scroll from her son and quickly read it. The woman gasped in terror.

"They wouldn't..."

"I think they would..." The firebender growled.

"They won't." Ursa said as she bit down on her lower lip. "Zuko, you must pay!"

"We can't, mother. It would destroy our economy and the entire Fire Nation would suffer." Zuko sighed, "But I think I can get her back."

"How?" Ursa asked, a pleading look in her eyes.

"There's this bounty hunter..." Zuko revealed with a small smirk, "She can find anyone."

"Very well, but what about the guard?" Ursa asked.

"Guard?" A frowning Zuko took back the scroll and read it. The Fire Nation's ruler blinked in confusion. "Oddly dressed guard? I didn't assign a guard to Azula."

"Maybe your advisor sent one in your absence?" Ursa suggested.

"Maybe." Zuko said as he turned to go and ask his advisor.

"Zuko, how long have they had her?" Ursa asked.

"Three days." Zuko responded.

"My little girl must be terrified..." Ursa quietly sobbed. Zuko wisely remained quiet as he left.

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Hours later, Zuko was in his war room, Sokka and Mai were with him as he waited for several people to arrive. Then the large doors of the war room parted and Avatar Aang entered with Sokka's sister and the now world famous Toph Bei Fong.

"Zuko, did you feel it too?" Aang asked as he entered.

"No, what?" Zuko blinked, then shook his head, "What are you three doing here?"

"Something big happened three days ago." Aang said.

"I know, my sister was kidnapped." Zuko said.

"What? That's terrible!" Aang and Toph both gaped in shock.

"But something big in the spirit world." Aang said as he clarified his own statement.

"Spirit world? More Avatar stuff." Sokka assumed with a bored look.

"Yeah, and none of the spirits know what's going on." Aang continued. "And what they described was like an explosion."

"Weird." Sokka mumbled as he rubbed his chin, obviously not really interested.

"And then they said a 'blue man with gold eyes' appeared." Aang continued.

"Blue?" Zuko frowned he walked over to a stack of papers and pulled one out. "The Overseer's incident report said the mystery man was wearing a blue and purple long jacket and had blue hair."

"Care to enlighten us?" Katara's face formed a frown of its own.

"When Azula was taken, a strange man was also taken. He wasn't a guard or even a patient. We have no idea where he came from." Zuko revealed.

"Still, just because Aang says the spirits saw a blue man with golden eyes, doesn't mean mister blue hair has anything to do with it. Right?" Sokka laughed. However, no one seemed to agree.

"Ok, then how about the spot where he appeared..." Zuko read over the lines from the report again. "Where and I quote, 'bathed in all four elements and after an hour solidified into a circle with the different emblems for the elements'."

"Ok, that might be weird enough to make me believe." Sokka blinked.

"What does it matter, some poor guy is being held captive with Azula." Toph remarked. "We gotta save him."

"Um..." Zuko looked terrified as he looked past Toph. "Hello mother."

"Mother?" Toph asked. "Oh, I was wondering whose footsteps those were."

"You found her!" Aang smiled, then realized what Toph had said. "Toph."

"Heh, yeah I should apologize, huh?" Toph blushed.

"Thank you." Ursa said. "I know my daughter has caused everyone many problems..."

"It's okay." Katara waved it off. "She's still your daughter."

"Thank you." Ursa smiled.

"So..." Toph spoke up. "How are you gonna find them?"

"How else? We need June." Zuko explained.

"Who is 'June'?" Ursa asked, "And why do I feel the need to hide our valuables?" This caused everyone to snicker.

"She's the bounty hunter, mother, and her pet can track anyone on the planet." Zuko said confidently. "Right now I'm just waiting for one of the messenger hawks to return."

"She's not kept on retainer?" Ursa asked.

"No, but she should still be in the Fire Nation since she's been bringing in father's loyalists by the dozen for the past year and a half." Zuko explained. "Thankfully she's loyal to her employers and not just any source of gold."

"Yeah, and she doesn't give up." Toph added. "And she's great in a tavern fight!"

"Toph, you're not helping your case." Katara groaned.

Ursa chuckled. "Actually I find Toph's enthusiasm to my liking."

"Really? Wow, did not expect that." Toph blinked in disbelief. "At least not like this. Nice, anyway." Ursa merely smiled and left with a worried look on her face.

"I really stepped in it, didn't I?" Toph winced.

"Yup." Katara chuckled.


	5. Captive Day

**Foreign Blood**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)**

**Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related Characters are © Nickelodeon**

**Bao-Fai is © Me**

**Choronus Illadae is © Me**

_**Captive Day**_

Azula watched as her fellow captive finally stirred and began to immediately complain about his jaw. Then he seemed to notice her and he stopped complaining for a few minutes. They were being held in an old prisoner transport from the war, and the sunlight from the outside let Azula see just enough of her companion to remind herself of his odd clothing and blue hair. To Azula, he _looked_ like a Fire Nation citizen, but something told her he wasn't. Then he sighed and spoke, pulling Azula from her own thoughts.

"Ok, so you're a princess?" He asked as if everything happening to him was a common occurrence.

"Yes. Princess Azula of the Fire Nation." A very annoyed Azula snapped.

"Fire Nation?" He smirked. "Ever hear of a country called Japan?"

"No." Azula answered as the man's smirk grew into a smile.

"China, Taiwan, Untied States or England?" The oddly-dressed man asked again.

"No." Azula replied as she tired to scoot away from the man she now believed to be a lunatic.

"So it was either time travel or I'm in some strange alternate reality where my magic doesn't work." He laughed. "Oh, I am so breaking Horus' kneecaps if I get back."

"Right. Maybe I should have let them kill you." Azula rolled her eyes.

"Wow, you're nice." The man shot back. "Must be all the rage for the boys back home to line up and court you."

"Just who are you anyway?" Azula ignored the insult.

"Choronus Illadae, sorcerer, chi wizard, and now lost in another reality." The man introduced himself. "Oh, and I'm an archaeologist."

"A what?" Azula blinked.

"I study ancient cultures." Choronus clarified. "So...what is a firebender?"

"Excuse me?" Azula had never been asked such a basic question before.

"The big idiot called me a firebender. What is that, some sort of magic here?" Choronus asked.

"Firebending is the proud martial art of the Fire Nation! We create and manipulate the element of fire with it." Azula exclaimed in indignant disbelief. "How can you _not_ know this?"

"Um, I just said I'm likely from another reality." Choronus said. "Now if I could just squeeze..." He grunted and then, "Hah, yes! Houdini eat your heart out!" The blue-haired man smiled in triumph as he rubbed his wrists.

"Who?" Azula asked.

"Escape artist from my world." He explained as he brought his hands forward. "So I take it you're a firebender then?"

"...I was. The Avatar removed my bending." Azula growled in a low, angry voice.

"Avatar? Of a god?" Choronus looked confused.

"Ugh, what are you, a grade schooler?" Azula rolled her eyes in defeat. "The Avatar is the only person in the world capable of bending all four of the elements."

"I see." Choronus nodded as he pulled out a wad of papers from his pockets and then froze as he looked at his hands which all showed the signs of having several rings on each hand being recently removed. His eye twitched in anger.

"They took all your rings." Azula explained. "Except that one. They couldn't get it off."

"Oh, so dead." Choronus groaned as he flipped through the papers. "Paralyze, paralyze..." He mumbled the next six or so. "I'm gonna have to thank my buddy for all these non-lethal spells."

"Really?" Azula snorted.

"With a fist to his face." He paused for a thought. "If I could ever hit him."

"Aw, does he move too fast?" Azula laughed.

"He can pretty much defeat anyone given enough time." Choronus said dismissively.

"Well that's nice." Azula snapped venomously. "Maybe your imaginary friend could save us if he were here."

"You know I get it, you don't believe me and that's fine." Choronus smiled. "Now would you like to escape?"

"You would help me escape?" Azula blinked in disbelief.

"Any reason I shouldn't?" Choronus said. "That is unless you want to stay with all the horny muscle men who will likely rape you at the drop of a hat." A condescending smile was plastered across his face. "Your choice really."

"I really hate not being in control." Azula growled.

"Well that's all nice and fine, but now we need to grab their attention." Choronus smiled.

"So what do..." Azula was shocked as he quickly stood up and placed one of the tabs of paper he had taken out on the door.

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"Say cheese, you ugly mofos!" Choronus shouted as he slammed his hand onto the paper and it erupted in energy, blasting the door open. The transport immediately stopped as several of the kidnappers came around to the back.

"You!" A large man shouted. "How'd you get out, firebender?"

"I'm not a firebender." Choronus clarified as he leaped at the nearest opponent and placed a new tab of paper on his forehead, the man immediately collapsed while he stood next to the body. The other men did a quick double take to their downed friend and then to him.

"Don't let him touch you." One man warned as he charged forward with a sword, only to have Choronus dodge out of the way and place another tab on the man's chest. This man too fell to the ground.

At this point the remaining men numbered about four and they all looked at the blue-haired archaeologist in fear. Then, all at once, they charged with swords drawn. Choronus dodged each blow and dropped his back to the ground. He then unleashed a surprising attack that involved him spinning his legs in the air, flipping back into the air and pouncing on each man and placing a tab on their forehead. He sighed in relief.

"I can't believe I actually pulled that off without getting hurt." He smiled.

"You didn't." The large man who had back-handed him came from around the front of the transport. "Time to teach you a lesson." The man took a stance and Choronus merely rolled his eyes. Then his feet sunk into ground.

"Hey! What the-?" Choronus shouted as the big man calmly walked over to him, "Let me guess. You are an 'Earthbender', am I right?"

"Yeah." The big man smirked, cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah, that figures." Choronus sighed as he waited for the man's fist to impact his skull.

When Choronus looked up though, Azula was hanging off his back with her shackled arm's around the large man's neck. After a few seconds of flailing around with the girl on his back, the large man fell to the ground where Azula proceeded to spit on his face. The former Fire Lord then merely passed Choronus as she began to walk away.

"Hey, mind helpin' me?" Choronus shouted to the angry princess.

"Why should I?" Azula sneered back at him.

"Uh, I kind of made escape possible." Choronus loudly reminded her.

"I would have freed myself." Azula scoffed as she continued to walk.

"Oh, you little..." Choronus muttered a few curses in her direction, then spoke a magic word, not that he expected it to work. Oddly enough though, it did. Azula found herself falling to the ground, paralyzed.

"What did you do to me?" Azula shrieked in rage as she struggled to move.

"Hey, I guess my magic's coming back!" Choronus chuckled as he focused on his feet and spoke another set of words. This time the earth exploded outward, not lethally, but enough to free his feet.

After freeing himself from the ground, Choronus began to pick through the paralyzed forms of his captors, plucking his rings from various men and even finding what he assumed to be the money of the realm. Then he carefully, and with the aid of a small spell packed all the men into the transport. He did all this while Azula screamed at him constantly. Some threats were, as he noted, most unbecoming of a princess.

When he was done packing the men into the metal transport, he attempted to seal the door with a focused fire spell, but found his magic would not bring forth fire. He had to settle for using another explosive force chi spell to wedge the door into place. Then he sent the odd horse-headed bird things pulling it on their way.

"Ok..." Choronus said as he got back to Azula and used a small force spell to break her shackles. "I'm going to undue the paralyze spell now. Promise not to go batshit on me?" He undid the spell before she could answer though and he immediately regretted it as she flipped him on his back and held her fist mere inches from his face.

"Don't do that again. Don't _ever_ do that again." Azula shrieked as tears formed in her eyes.

Choronus was about to say something, when he noticed her hands were shaking and she was hiding her face from him almost immediately after yelling at him. He wasn't a psychologist, but something told him this girl was damaged. Now he was glad he had freed her. Their captors would only have done more damage to her. He smiled though as she was now sitting and pouting in the dirt. Definitely a teenage girl.

"I'll make you a deal, I won't paralyze you like that again, and you're gonna help me figure out what's going on here." Choronus said.

"What are you _talking_ about?" Azula shouted.

"I mean, why in the name of all the gods was I transported to another reality and seemingly stripped of my elemental spells? _And_, I might add, why was I dumped right in front of you at a highly crucial time." Choronus said as he searched his pockets for something.

"They took the dark looking glasses too." Azula sighed.

"_**What?**_" Choronus shrieked as he looked out to see the dust cloud the creatures left in the distance. "My five hundred dollar sunglasses..."

"You are beyond a doubt insane." Azula sneered.

"All right then, instead you can take me to this Avatar person and I'll talk to him, her, or whatever it maybe." Choronus mumbled, still looking at the dust cloud longingly.

"You want me, one of the Avatar's enemies, to take you to see him?" Azula snorted in laughter. "You really are insane."

Choronus shot the girl a glare that spoke volumes. "Ok, let me put it in terms you can understand. I can control whether you move or not. I'd really like to _not_ have to carry you back to wherever it was we were taken from, so you either help me or I take you back there myself."

"You wouldn't." Azula froze.

"See, I figured it was a prison of some sort." Choronus deduced. "Or was it a crazy house?"

"Shut up." Azula growled.

"Ah, I hit a nerve." Choronus smiled briefly before it faded to his glare once more. "So, are you going to help me and maybe breathe the fresh air for a few more days than you would normally, or am I going to be dragging you back there like a limp noodle?"

"A few days?" Azula shot her own glare back.

"Take it or leave it." Choronus said with a shrug.

"I'll leave it." The young firebender grumbled as she stood up and walked off.

"Why is it always the hard way with teenagers?" Choronus shook his head as he again spoke the command and Azula fell prone to the ground once more where she again shouted at him furiously. He casually walked over and hoisted the teenager over his shoulder before looking around and making his best guess as to what direction to head in to return the troubled girl to her proper place.


	6. Cooperation

**Foreign Blood**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)**

**Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related Characters are © Nickelodeon**

**Bao-Fai is © Me**

**Choronus Illadae is © Me**

_**Cooperation**_

Azula sighed as she watched her limp arms flail side to side. She had been watching the dirt pass, but that got boring really fast, and now her arms were the most entertaining thing she could see. Then, all at once, everything was boring...and she knew exactly why. The strange man named Choronus had been keeping her paralyzed while he carried her back to the mental institution where her brother had her locked up. The man had offered her a few more days of freedom if she helped him "figure things out", but she had foolishly assumed he could not stop her. This even after he had already paralyzed her almost immediately before asking for her help.

It was at this point that she knew she was going to be heading back to the institution no matter what, and if she were to have any chance of escape, she was going to need him to at least _think_ she was resigned to her fate.

"Is it too late to cooperate?" She tried to sound bored, her tone sounding very genuine.

"It's never too late to cooperate." Choronus said sagely as he set her to her feet and removed the spell. "Just hold this and answer some questions for me." He pulled a black rock out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"What kind of questions?" Azula half-smiled. She had an idea of what he was doing, and she completely expected to circumvent it.

"Like, you plan on running away as soon as I turn my back?" Choronus smiled.

"No." Azula rolled her eyes.

"Planning on trying to get away at all?" Choronus kept his smile going.

"No." She gritted her teeth, trying to sound annoyed. It wasn't too hard.

"And finally, where would you like me to return you? Your brother's...or the institution?" The sorcerer then looked at her directly in the eye. "Which is better for you?"

"...I...don't know." The dark-haired teenager admitted. She knew it was the truth.

"Thanks." Choronus grinned as he took the stone and whistled. "Wow, one lie."

"_What?_" Azula's eye twitched. "It can't tell that!"

"No, but you sure can." Choronus smiled as Azula realized what he had done.

"I'm off my game." The former ruler grumbled indignantly.

"That would probably be why you were in a crazy house." Choronus gave a condescending smile. "Now, which way to the nearest town?"

"How should I know? This is the Earth Kingdom, and I don't have a map or a clue as to where we are!" Azula shouted.

"Well at least we know we're lost together." Choronus smiled.

"You have no idea how much I want to kill you right now." The angry teen growled.

"Actually, I think I do." Choronus laughed. "It's a talent of mine, driving people insane. Especially allies."

Azula merely walked off in one direction and she quickly heard Choronus' footsteps follow. They walked in silence from that point on. It lasted for a few hours, until Choronus stopped in front of an egg in the middle of the road.

"Egg?" The blue-haired sorcerer pointed to it in a confused manner.

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"Platypus Bear egg." Azula nodded. "They are edible and I am hungry."

"What if mama comes back?" Choronus frowned as looked around cautiously. He had already seen one weird mashed up animal, and a platypus bear did not sound friendly.

"Then the egg has a better mother than I do." Azula sighed.

"Why do I not believe that?" Choronus remarked as he tried to get the girl to stop being so caustic.

"Because you're an idiot." Azula then bent down to pick up the egg, which she carried at her side as they continued to walk.

"Or it could be because no mother can ever hate their children. No matter how much of an arrogant brat they may be." Choronus teased with a small smile.

"Please stop trying to provoke me, I'm to tired to respond with non-lethal force." Azula gave a semi-sweet, almost innocent smile.

"See, that I do believe." Choronus snorted as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and truly lamented on the fact that only one remained after this.

"What's that?" Azula blinked as Choronus pulled out a strange device that sparked a small flame.

"Lighter." Choronus held it up. "Useful in my world for many things, from lighting a small fire to igniting a huge blazing inferno. Of course for nicotine addicts such as myself, it's used to light up."

"What?" Azula's face contorted in confusion.

"Nicotine. Comes from tobacco plants." Choronus said as the end of his cigarette lit up from his lighter. "_Please_ tell me you have tobacco plants."

"Never heard of them." Azula said blithely as she continued to walk.

"No..." Choronus could feel the calm washing from his body. "WHOEVER SENT ME HERE IS SO GETTING THEIR KNEECAPS BROKEN!"

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Azula smiled to herself as her companion cursed his plight. Of course she knew he was likely to discover her lie, but for now this one kept her entertained and him on edge. The former firebender managed to keep a few paces ahead of the strange man, and that allowed her a few moments to pause and observe that they were now nearing a town.

"Oh thank the gods." Her blue haired companion sighed in relief as he saw the town.

"You worship gods?" Azula snorted in derision, hoping to pick back at her equally caustic companion.

"No, but I'm employed by them." He sighed as he inhaled the last of his strange burning tobacco-laced paper.

"We can't just walk into town." Azula noted as she scanned the horizon for any homes outside the city.

"Why not?" She saw him cast a wary gaze towards her.

"Well for one, I'm technically an escaped convict." She continued scanning. "And two, you look like a complete idiot."

"Well then, we need clothes then." She saw him briefly smile.

"Yes, we do. Now be quiet while I scan the horizon for any farms..." Azula turned back to her companion who was now taking measurements of her leg. He looked about ready to say something, when her temper ignited and she cracked her foot across his face. He went sailing backwards and landed at the side of the road.

"Ow!" The archaeologist stood up, rage obvious in his eyes.

"Don't touch me, _PEASANT!_" Her own rage was, as well, obvious.

"Oh, you are a princess." He tossed her his measuring tape. "Write down the measurements for me then."

"So you're a tailor, lovely." Azula sneered as she looked at the tape. She blinked as she tried to figure out what they read. The numbers on the tape made no sense to her. "This isn't even a proper measuring tape!"

"For your world." Choronus scowled as he walked over to her and snatched it back. "Perfectly normal in mine. "

"Why do you keep _saying_ that?" A fed-up Azula shouted.

"Because I'm from another world." Choronus reminded calmly. "What's so hard to believe about that? I mean, I paralyzed you with a _word,_ and I have completely different measurements on my tape measure!"

"Well for one I met you in, oh, what did you call it? Why, wasn't it the _crazy house?_" Azula argued. "You could have easily made up your own measurements. Plus, I've seen metalbending and energy bending up close and personal, you could easily be some sort of crazy word bender!"

Silence past between the two as her companion merely sighed.

"You dropped your egg." The blue-haired man noticed as he wound up his measurement tape.

Azula looked to the ground in shock. She had completely forgotten about the egg and realized that she must have dropped it when she kicked him in the face. She looked at the broken pieces and shrieked in anger as she lunged at her companion. Much to her surprise, he simply moved out of the way of her attack. She ended up in the dirt, face down and crying.

"Seriously, what happened to make you so psycho?" Choronus arched an eyebrow.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She shrieked as everything seemed to be collapsing around her again.

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Choronus sighed as he saw the girl wallowing in her own tears. Now, he was certain. The girl wasn't so much crazy as broken. He quickly picked the girl up at her shoulders and walked her to the city. People stared at them of course, but sharp glares from the mysterious blue haired stranger that he was kept them from commenting. He quickly found an inn, and was somewhat confused as to why Chinese seemed to be the language of choice in this nation.

The innkeeper was kind enough to not pry into why Choronus' companion was almost a rag doll, but he did find it curious that his newest customer knew nothing of pricing. Choronus quickly tried to cover himself by making a story of coming from the Fire Nation and not being used to handling money at all. This seemed to draw some ire, but the older man gave him a room with two beds for two days. He also pointed him to a thing called a pai sho table. Choronus just assumed it was some local gambling and dismissed it, though.

Choronus managed to get Azula up the stairs with little trouble and put her gently in one of the beds. He spied a furnace at the wall and noticed it was fire-based. Nearby, two comfortable looking wicker chairs rested against a wall, while a small pot sat on a counter behind them. He took his lighter out and put one of the complimentary logs, along with some tinder, into the furnace. He lit it and pulled one of the chairs over to sit in.

His mind was flooded as he tried to figure things out about this world. The currency was easy to figure out after the inn keeper explained it: a simple gold, silver and copper based currency, each shaped and marked with a seal of the appropriate nation. Still, he was trying to figure out this 'bending' thing. To him, it seemed like a form of chi magic, yet it was rooted in martial arts. Then, there were the strange mashed-up animals. He didn't know what to think of those. Finally, there was this girl. The portal had directed him to her for some reason. He glanced at her motionless form.

Choronus wasn't a believer in fate, but he knew things greater than humans often manipulated things to their liking. He had more than enough personal experience in that area to know that something could very well be either trying to break the girl or maybe even save her. That meant he had to figure out his role in any of the possible plots that could play out, and from the girl's earlier comment and behavior, her plans as well. The chi wizard yawned as he leaned the chair up against a wall and watched her carefully.

"Want to hear a story?" The archaeologist asked, watching her eyes move slowly to meet his. "It's not fun, and it's full of tragedy."

"Then why would I want to hear it?" She croaked out.

"Cause there's a point to it." Choronus sighed, making himself more comfortable. "Just listen."


	7. Story of Revenge

**Foreign Blood**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)**

**Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related Characters are © Nickelodeon**

**Bao-Fai is © Me**

**Choronus Illadae is © Me**

_**Story of Revenge**_

"He was thirteen when he met her. Their cults had struck a deal, and they were to be wed to secure both cults' future. For the first days, he was as he was raised to be: cruel and and condescending." Azula watched as her companion seemed to withdraw into the words. "He acted superior and commanded his wife, but in reality...he was as much a prisoner as she, merely figureheads to be placed upon thrones. She however, as always, was contrary to her cult's beliefs. She believed that love conquered all..."

"This is your life, isn't it?" Azula realized as she recognized several giveaways to personal connection.

"Yes." Choronus smiled. "Only one person ever figured it out before I finished."

"I doubt that." Azula retorted flatly, then her tone became snide. "They where probably just being polite."

"Eh, likely. Of course, I'd just as soon believe it's cause I'm such a grand story teller." Choronus continued his smiling. "Want the abridged version, then?"

"Sure." Azula sighed.

"She opened my eyes to what I was. To what we were. It frightened me. I tried to run with her...but we were caught. Then made prisoners of our own religions. A year later, after countless arguments and escape attempts we were rescued. A force from an opposing cult managed to break into and destroy most of the stronghold we were in. Their leader decided to take us rather than kill us. While we were escaping, Seth, the god I worshiped at the time manifested and..." Azula saw something in Choronus' face twinge in response to the bad memory.

"She died." Azula deduced.

"She died." The sorcerer smiled. "Part of me went with her, the other part stayed and swore revenge." His smile had faded into a flat emotionless stretch across his face. "A fourteen year old girl against the incarnation of chaos and destruction."

Azula remained silent as her companion paused briefly. She knew she could use this information to manipulate the man into either leaving her be or being useful. The question now was, what was more beneficial?

"Took up studying my mother's culture, learned magic, quit having fun...at least until college." The blue-haired man smirked. "I was a prodigy, they said. I know everything about the ancient culture my mother came from and it's magic."

"So you got revenge?" Azula asked as she pulled her legs up to her chest.

"No. Revenge against a god is all but impossible." Choronus shook his head.

"Well then, it must really suck being you." The former firebender snapped.

"Good to have you back." Choronus smirked.

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Azula's eyes twinged as his smirk widened. She had taken his bait, and for now was out of this funk. He hoped he wouldn't have to reveal anymore of his dark secrets.

"I'm going to sleep. Don't try anything." Azula ordered as she hid completely under her blanket.

"Don't worry, you're too young for me." Choronus laughed.

"How old are you?" The dark-haired girl peeked her head out from under her blanket.

"Twenty four." The archeologist answered.

"You look younger." The former queen of the Fire Nation yawned.

"I get that a lot." Choronus mused on the thought himself. He had always assumed he was just a graceful ager, but recently he was beginning to question whether or not some god had blessed or even cursed him with his apparent slow aging.

His thoughts shifted from himself though, as Azula retreated completely under the blanket once more. He was reminded of how close it was to a child hiding under a security blanket. The man chuckled to himself and stood up as he looked out the window. The sun was still out, and he had a loose grasp on the economy of this world. It was time to get some essentials.

The archeologist left the room and locked the door, fairly sure that Azula was truly going to be sleeping. He then head down to the tavern part of the building. The owner of course stopped him with a few questions, trying to get more information out of his curious new tenants.

"You, Fire Nation! The girl your wife?" He asked.

"No, I found her on the road." Choronus said. "Don't let her leave, she needs rest."

"Right." The owner laughed. "Where you going?"

"To find a clothes shop." He said flatly, trying to get away from the curious man.

"Figured as much. What's your name?" The owner's eyes looked sharp as if trying to catch a familiar name or a lie.

"Choronus Illadae, not that it means much here." Choronus gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Yeah, never heard that odd a name before." The owner sniffed as he immediately became dismissive of the cerulean-coiffed stranger.

Choronus took that as the end to the man's third degree. He then left with a roll of his eyes and pulled out his last cigarette with a deep resigned sigh. He was going to hate the remainder of his stay.

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Azula heard the door lock and she moaned in defeat, but only for now. Her companion's story was odd, and strangely it rang true to her, though the implications of other realities were far too much for her tired mind at the moment. She yawned for a moment as she lowered the blanket down to her neck, the primary source of her strange insecurity being gone. Then she drifted to sleep.

Her dreams were, as usual, frightening and unnerving as most involved the Avatar coming back to "finish the job". Others were of her mother tormenting her with words of false love while she praised Zuko. Another one she was familiar with was her father's outrage and disappointment in her failure. This was the worst in her mind as she could never do anything but beg for forgiveness right before he would kill her. It made her almost feel sorry for Zuko.

Then, the new one came. A black spiral opened in the center of the Fire Palace, while she sat with her brother and mother enjoying some tea. From the spiral, a black form extended with glowing red eyes. Fire shot out of them and chased Azula down. The fire was upon her when a sudden wall of earth cut off the attack. The blackness then focused on the shadowed earthbender and lunged at it. Soon, Azula and her family were cornered as the blackness crept around them.

Then, a bird's call pierced the darkness as the sun was temporarily blackened by the passing wings of a gigantic bird. It landed gracefully on unnaturally long legs and draped it's great wings around the family. Azula looked up at its face to see a great beak and two colorful crests upon its head. It stared at her with a frighteningly cold glare, one that she almost swore mirrored her own. Then the great bird's wings unfolded and the sun shone even brighter than before as the blackness vanished. Before she woke up she could almost hear a voice whispering to her, but that was interrupted by a sudden shock to her system as several heavy things were plopped onto her.

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"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Azula screamed in outrage after she pulled herself off the floor.

"Handing you some new clothes." Choronus smiled mirthly as he walked over to a door and opened it. "Huh, thank god for indoor plumbing." He noted as he saw the clay and stone structures for a bath and a crude toilet system, then he motioned for Azula to enter the room. "Get changed."

"Fine..." Azula grumbled as she grabbed the clothes and entered the room.

Choronus yawned as he closed the door and then ended up face first in his own bed. He was about to enjoy a few hours of sleep, but that hope was dashed by the sound of frustrated screaming from the bathroom, soon followed by sobbing. The magician sat up and tried to figure out what could have provoked her into such an outburst, so he walked up to the door and knocked.

"You all right in there kid?" He asked, concerned he may have triggered some sort of psychotic lapse.

"GO AWAY!" Azula's voice rang out. Instead, Choronus grabbed a chair and dragged it to the door.

"What's wrong kiddo?"

"Nothing!" Azula shrieked.

"Don't make me open the door. Catching you in the buff is like, four different crimes from where I come from." Choronus said with a chuckle.

"I'm not naked." Azula sobbed.

"Well that's good." Choronus remarked as he went to pull a cigarette from his pocket, then he remembered he was out and silently cursed at several gods. "Can I come in and maybe, I dunno, help?"

"GO AWAY!" Azula's shout was accompanied by the shattering of a mirror. Choronus only reacted after that and slammed the door open to see Azula on the floor crying, a hairbrush smashed against the mirror and only her new undergarments on.

He looked at the scene in bewilderment. Then he recalled how she had mentioned she was a princess. A princess who likely had never dressed herself in anything more complicated than the crazy house, no, asylum, clothes. Choronus could clearly see why the girl was where she was, and he knew that a girl with enough problems and the ability to use fire based attacks was not a safe combination for anyone, let alone herself.

"So..." He sat on the floor across from her. "Want some help? Or should I get the old lady who sold me these, cause I tell you, if I have to try not to stare at the mole on her face again I'm going to go insane."

Azula sniffed as she looked up. "I'm sorry."

"I gather." Choronus said. "I also gather you're trying to fight yourself."

"What?" Azula blinked.

"You want to be yourself, but you're not sure what that is anymore. Everything you ever knew is either gone or your enemy, and the person you care about most is either dead or hates you." Choronus said as he stood up and offered his hand to the young broken woman.

"How would you know?"

"How long do you think it takes to get over seeing a god rip out your wife's soul and swallow it?" Choronus said, "How long does it take?"

Azula looked up at The blue-haired man and wiped her eyes. "This is pathetic..." She mumbled the rest.

"I know, you're used to being the strong one, the one with all the answers. Am I right?" Choronus was beginning to see why he might have been brought here. He kept his hand extended. "I struggled for years to find who I was after I lost her. I tried to study the hate away, bury it under texts. All that got me was a degree...and some nice coed tail." Choronus quipped. Azula's lack of reaction told him his joke had failed. "So then I tried to forgive, do what was expected. Didn't work."

"What did?" Azula asked as she started to reach her hand out.

"I'll let you know when I find it." Choronus smiled as he pulled the girl to her feet.

"So what are we on some sort of soul searching journey together now?" Azula asked with her usual derisive tone returning.

"No, I'm still going to find the Avatar and return you to your brother." Choronus smiled, "But maybe we can help each other along the way. And maybe when we get there, you might actually seek some help."

"Help?" Azula glared at him.

"Kid, you just broke the world speed record for the angry-sad-angry-batshit-insane-angry emotional roller coaster." Choronus chuckled. "You need help. Hell, _everyone_ needs help where I'm from, so I can tell."

"Well we've established that's not here." Azula frowned as she tried to put her new clothes on. "What's your world like?"

"Well..." Choronus reminisced as he helped her dress. "For one, we don't have an 'Avatar'."

"Lucky you." Azula snorted.

"Heh, we got something probably ten million times more annoying." Choronus laughed.

"Oh?" The dark-haired girl asked.

"He's sometimes called the Man of Steel..." Choronus began his tale.


	8. Apprentice?

**Foreign Blood**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)**

**Beta: ****L1701E**

**Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related Characters are © Nickelodeon**

**Bao-Fai is © Me**

**Choronus Illadae is © Me**

_**Apprentice?**_

Choronus yawned as he woke up, and much to his surprise, found Azula already awake and looking out the window. Unfortunately, she did not look happy. Of course, the magician didn't really know what that looked like anyway.

"They're here." She muttered coldly. "They got free and they followed us in less than a day!" Choronus could almost swear she was trying to hide her fear.

"Good." Choronus said as he stretched and put his coat on. "I need to warm up for the walk today."

"Are you crazy? He's an earthbender! He'll crush you!" The former ruler hissed.

Choronus merely looked over his shoulder with a grin. "I'm getting stronger." He spoke a word and a ball of purple-gold flame appeared in his hands.

"Purple and gold fire?" Azula blinked in amazement. "That's new."

"Magic fire, shares colors with my aura." The archeologist explained as he balled his hands into fists and quickly exited the room.

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Azula watched from the window as Choronus exited the building. The men who had stolen her from the asylum were at the local guard house, threatening the guards to help them locate her. At first, she thought her companion was going to fight smart and take them on one at a time. Instead, he whistled loud enough to gather their attention.

"Hello, boys! Nice to see you again!" The dark-haired girl couldn't see his face, but imagined he had a smile similar to her own when she was provoking people.

"You..." Their snarling leader was the first out of the guard house door and the first to attack. A rush of earth rocketed towards Choronus. The blue-haired man merely yawned as he spoke a few words and dodged the arcs of moving earth that the earthbender kept sending out. She, of course, recognized the words as the single word he had used to paralyze her mixed with a few other odd ones she didn't know. Soon enough, all the man's followers fell to the ground, paralyzed.

"Done yet?" Choronus yawned. Azula detected the very obvious condescension in his voice.

"**What are you?**" The man roared in anger as he created a solid wall of earth and sent it sailing at Choronus, who merely stood there.

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Choronus had merely a second to recognize the large form coming at him, and he reacted out of instinct.

"Tenith Ryop..." As soon as the words left his mouth, a purple-gold flame about his height jutted from his hand and melted the earth in front of it to glass. The earthen wall, however, just melted down the middle and the sides passed by the sorcerer. "Fih Zhen." The fireball merely vanished.

"D-Demon!" One man shouted in horror as he dropped a large load of cabbages and ran away.

"Firebender!" The leader yelled.

"Sorcerer..." Choronus corrected. He could already feel his strength waning from the use of such a powerful spell. He cursed himself as he fell to his knees.

"Huh? Sorcerer..." The leader then laughed. "Expend too much of your magic, then?"

"What would you know..." Choronus coughed.

"I know I got more chi than you got magic..." The leader smirked arrogantly as he casually walked to Choronus.

Deep in his thoughts, the archeologist was busy connecting dots. This world had a flow of magic and chi, but somehow his magic had been disrupted while his chi had not. He began thinking carefully as he pushed himself back up to his feet. He focused on his opponent; with his magic low, he would have to use another source of energy to power his spells. Inspired, he pulled out a pen knife.

"What, you think that little blade can hurt me?" The leader laughed. Choronus smirked.

"No, but it's a great tool..." He tossed the pen knife in the air, and it flew off to the ground in front of a shop only a few feet away. "... for finding ley lines." He made a mad dash for the pen knife and grasped it, feeling the rush of natural energies flowing around it. The sorcerer pulled it from the ground. The rush of energy surrounded him in the form of a massive gust of wind that blew down several carts and other objects. After the initial rush, Choronus turned back to the large man and smiled.

"What was that?" The leader blinked in confusion.

"A power boost. Courtesy of the spirits nearby." Choronus's face formed a grin that showed that he knew he had this fight won. "Can you catch a hadouken?"

"A what?" the leader asked.

"HADOUKEN!" Choronus roared as he mimicked his favorite video game move, though he used his own magical fire for the attack and a lot of superheated air to send the man sailing past the town gates. He once again fell to his knees. Before he collapsed, he put the pen knife back into the earth and felt even more of his strength diminishing.

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Azula was sitting in their room when the innkeeper brought Choronus back up to the room and put him onto the unmade bed that was his. Before he left though, he gave the young girl a tea set and several mixes. He also let her know the town was debating what to do with them. After the door had closed, she put the tea set on a counter nearby and stared at it for a few seconds before curling up in a chair, slowly embracing sleep.

When she woke up again, it was with a start from a miraculously dreamless sleep. Choronus was now up and resting against the wall by the door while carefully sipping from some tea. He didn't look too happy. In fact, he looked like someone had roused him to true anger.

"We need a new escape plan." He grumbled in frustration as he slammed his fist into the door. "We're locked in."

"The innkeeper said something about them deciding what to do with us." Azula snorted. "They probably think you're loyal to my father."

"That would be bad..." Choronus mumbled, a look of confused worry crossing his face before he pointed to the tea set. "Have some. It's great for restoring energy."

"Well that explains why you're up." Azula grunted, stretching her back.

"We were both out of it for a whole day. That's why I'm up." Choronus remarked as he took a careful sip before he moved away from the door. "Be on your guard, someone's coming."

The door opened to reveal the innkeeper, who had a small travel bag with him. At his side was an old woman with a very obvious mole right on her nose. Azula noted that her companion immediately cringed away from looking at the old woman.

"What's that for?" The former firebender wondered out loud, confused by the lack of armed guards.

"Town voted." The innkeeper announced. "We want you gone, but you did teach those men a tough lesson." He then looked to Azula. "I don't know how you escaped those men, but you're lucky you found this guy to look out for you."

"Did they say anything about why they wanted me?" Azula asked, afraid they may have revealed her identity.

"No, but I can't imagine it would have been pleasant." The innkeeper said as he handed her the bag. "There's a small pai sho tablet in there as well to pass the time."

"Great..." Azula sighed, slightly disappointed it was a game she had no patience for. She looked to her companion, but he seemed more intent on studying the innkeeper.

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"I suppose you'll want directions, then?" The innkeeper turned to Choronus who had been studying him since he appeared with the bag.

The young sorcerer was almost always suspicious of gifts coming from people who were, politely or not, kicking him out. This time, of course, he was also suspicious of the older woman from the clothes shop from earlier. Something was off about their behavior. It was benevolent while also cold, like a master strategist handing foes poisoned food under the guise of peace talks.

"Just to the nearest port that'll take us back to the Fire Nation." Choronus answered.

"Ah, you want to go home then." The innkeeper smiled. "Well, you don't have to leave till tomorrow, so please enjoy the rest of your stay as my guests." With that, the two smiling figures retreated.

"That was odd." Azula said as soon as the door closed.

Choronus didn't speak until a few seconds later. "Empty the bag on the bed."

"Ok." Azula did so, immediately seeing several suspicious items. "These incenses might as well be a flare to anything tracking us."

"No food." Choronus looked the bag's contents over and unfolded a paper pai sho play mat. "Stupid game..."

"You have no idea. My uncle plays this all the time." Azula snorted. "Him and his stupid white lotus gambits." The blue-haired sorcerer couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Heh, so you weren't good at everything after all." Choronus smiled as he dismissed her annoyed glare. "Not that I can really talk. About the only game I'm good at is poker."

"Poker?" Azula asked.

"You'd like it, all about skill in lying and misdirection." Choronus smiled. "I cheat like a madman." He paused as he sorted through the pai sho tiles. "Might be why the last guy I played with tried to kill me."

"Sounds like a fun game." Azula smiled.

"I got a deck of cards, so I guess I can teach you." Choronus offered.

"I'd rather learn that magic stuff." Azula's smile grew.

"No." Choronus felt his face almost become a rock.

"Why not? I can't bend anymore, and it's obvious you can't." Azula demanded. "Why can't I learn?"

"Magic isn't a toy, or a fighting style guided by chi." Choronus revealed calmly. "Where as I can assume benders have some degree of control over the element just through training and movement, magic is very different."

"You melted earth." Azula reminded. "I want that kind of power."

"It's not about power, it's about control. Even for a wildfire sorcerer like myself, I have to measure how much power I want to use. I have to be fast and decisive with my wording, and one wrong syllable could create a massive backlash or even alter the spell." Choronus continued, "Let me ask you this, ever burn yourself when you practice your bending before?"

"No, but Zuko did a few times." Azula remembered, showing her contempt for his lack of willingness to teach her.

"Did he have any scars?" Choronus asked.

"No, our father did that to him during an agni ki." Azula grumbled as she blew her hair out of her face.

Choronus blinked for a second, storing that knowledge at the forefront of his brain to bring back later, then continued. "To compare then, if you were to mispronounce the simplest fireball spell, which is just a single syllable, you would likely need to treat second degree burns on your arm and shoulder."

"Second degree?" Azula blinked.

"Three degrees of burns where I come from. First degree is just a surface burn. It hurts, but it'll heal. Second degree needs medical treatment. Usually burns the skin off and needs lots of ointments and such. Third is cooked flesh." Choronus clarified. "I messed up a second level fire spell once, nearly killed my teacher. Almost dropped using magic."

"So you won't teach me because I could potentially kill you?" Azula sneered. The archeologist shook his head.

"I won't teach you because for you it's suicidal at best. I had to study the language I use for my spells for several years before I even learned to light a wick with magic. You don't have that luxury." Choronus said. "And the language and all that goes with it is key to making the magic work right."

"So teach me how to use the paper spells, then." Azula demanded.

"Those were chi spells." Choronus countered. "As in I used chi to power them."

"Unbelievable." Azula harrumphed in disbelief, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Sorry, kiddo, no magic for you." Choronus smirked as he held up one of the pai sho tiles and smiled.

"What?" Azula asked.

"The clothing lady had one of these tables." Choronus smiled.

"So, old people play pai sho." Azula scoffed with a dismissive wave.

"She also had this symbol in her shop name." Choronus tossed the piece up and caught. "In my experience people that use that level of symbolism are trying to either send a message or mark targets. Or mark burials, but that's another type of story." He gestured to the other tiles. "Notice something off about the other tiles?"

Azula looked closely at the tiles and picked them up. At first, she rubbed them between her fingers, thinking the wood grain would feel different. Then, she sniffed them, thinking they would smell different. Finally, she bit into them and shrugged in a bit of confusion before she noticed that the white lotus tile only had one mark on it: her bite marks.

"The others have been used, a lot." Azula blinked. "I really am not myself. I would have noticed this in almost a second before."

"I doubt that." Choronus shook his head. "The only reason I spotted it was the innkeeper's sudden behavior switch. Put me into detective mode."

"Detective mode?" Azula arched an eyebrow. "I thought you studied cultures."

"Ancient cultures that don't exist anymore." Choronus reminded as he reached into his pocket and frowned as he remembered his cigarettes were gone. "At least mostly. Archeology is a lot of detective work and lot of toil."

"So what now?" Azula wondered.

"Now we leave those things behind." Choronus picked up the incense and tossed them under his bed. "And go along with their little game. I'll keep my eye out for any other white lotus symbols on our travels."

A knock came at the door. Choronus glanced at Azula and quickly motioned to pack the things. He opened the door and found the innkeeper standing there with a map.

"I know you want a boat right now, but the nearest villages are all under lock down because of some weird sea creature." He handed Choronus a map. Much to the sorcerer's displeasure, the map led them further inland to what looked like a walled city. "Right now Ba Sing Sae is your best bet. Should be able to get a larger boat to take you to a coastal city that can take you to the Fire Nation."

"Thanks." Choronus tried not to visibly wince. He hated detours, and this was likely going to delay any chance of him getting back home within a sane time limit to almost nothing. He then closed the door.

"What's wrong?" Azula asked as she seemed to catch on to his perturbed attitude.

"Been detoured to Ba Sing Sae. Know of it?" He inquired.

Azula's face faltered big time as he watched her lie directly to his face...and they both knew it. "Heard of it. Just a big earth kingdom city. Nothing much really." A weak smile on her part kept Choronus from prying anymore at the moment.


	9. Travel log

**Foreign Blood**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)**

**Beta: L1701E**

**Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related Characters are © Nickelodeon**

**Bao-Fai is © Me**

**Choronus Illadae is © Me**

_**Travel log**_

"So..." Azula said as she looked over her shoulder at the not vanishing quickly enough earth village. "Why couldn't be get the Ostrich horse?"

"Because your creepy mashed up animals freak me the flip out." Choronus answered simply.

"You've only seen one." Azula pointed out. "And wrecked the meal I was gonna make out of the egg of another."

"Bears are bad enough where I'm from. Last thing they need is platypus parts." Choronus openly shuddered.

"Wait, you have just bears..." Azula pondered aloud. "Maybe that's where he came from?"

"Who?" Choronus asked.

"The earth king's pet bear." Azula explained, "He had this party for it in Ba Sing Sae..." She caught herself too late.

"Don't worry, I won't pry until we get there." Choronus reassured with a small smile.

"Thanks." Azula looked down, in part ashamed she had let the truth slip, and in part because she couldn't explain why.

"As for this bear, I bet Batman knows." The blue-haired archaeologist chuckled. "Batman tends to know, like a lot."

"Wait, you have a _bat man_ and you're freaked out by _our_ animals?" Azula laughed. "That's rich."

"No, he's not a literal bat man; although we do have that as well. He's just a guy who dresses up like a bat." Choronus explained.

"Why would anyone do that?" Azula blinked in disbelief.

"Because when he was little someone gave him a _really_ bad day. So now he spends all his time dressing up like a bat and beating the ever-loving shit out of criminals." Choronus smiled. "He's a bit of a hero of mine."

"Ok, this guy makes that Superman you speak of sound sane." Azula shook her head.

"The really crazy part? They're best friends." Choronus smiled.

"My head hurts." Azula groaned.

"Oh, but I haven't even gotten started. I could tell you tales..." Choronus smiled.

"Please don't." The former queen pleaded in what she assumed was a begging tone. "Really, please don't."

"Ah, don't worry, I'd get too bored telling them." The sorcerer laughed. "Anyway, I usually get my butt kicked in them."

"Wait, now I can suffer through a few." Azula perked up.

"So sorry, I seem to have forgotten them." Choronus glared sideways at her as he shifted the pack of food the town had let them buy. "Anyway, let's just keep walking. Hum a song if you want."

Silence filled the air for almost an hour before Azula suddenly felt her lips vibrating as she started humming a tune. She didn't recall where she had heard it before, and she definitely noted the look of surprise and delight on Choronus' face as she continued to hum. For a moment it almost felt good, then she stopped as she remembered her father's lesson on not giving one's position away while being pursued.

Hours passed again before Choronus found a spot to set up a camp and immediately pulled a tent from the pack. At first, Azula thought he had left the food behind. Then, he motioned for her to look into the bag. When she did, all she saw was blackness. She looked at her companion in confusion.

"My favorite TV show inspired it." He grinned proudly. "Think of this pouch as having its own plane of existence in which we can store stuff. The only limit being it has to naturally fit through the opening."

"Amazing." Azula marveled at the enchantment. She then realized that he made a refernce to something she had never heard of. "What's a TV show?"

"Think of them as plays, but able to be viewed over large distances with special technology." Choronus replied as he started to put the tent up.

Azula made a fire and set the water on to boil for their evening tea. Then, she sat by the fire and almost burst into tears. Thankfully, Choronus provided an amusing distraction as he managed to scald himself on the tea, so she eked out a giggle.

"Yeah, go ahead and laugh. I so need a coffee." Choronus groaned as he pulled out some fruits and tossed a few to Azula. "Gods, I wish one of us could cook."

"Well that would at least give me something to do." Azula agreed with a tired smile.

"All right story time." Choronus announced.

"Oh, what's this one about?" Azula asked. Her eyebrow arched like a trap ready to spring, she was ready for more information about the magician and his strange world.

"Why don't you tell me?" Choronus suggested.

"How about more about this..." She was cut off.

"I meant about you." Choronus said with a smile.

"I don't want to talk." Azula frowned as she pulled her knees closer to her chest.

"Gonna have to talk sometime." Choronus said as she began to rock back and forth.

"Why do you care?" Azula snapped.

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"Maybe I don't." Choronus snapped back. His tone then softened, "Or maybe I'm someone who won't judge, because he doesn't have the right to."

"Huh?" Azula inquired.

"I don't know your situation, but I can see parallels between it and my situation. And I know talking about mine really helped, but only because the person I talked to never judged me." Choronus said.

"Why didn't they judge you?" Azula sniffed.

"Mainly cause it was her job, but also because she was a good and caring individual." Choronus revealed softly.

"You were in an asylum?" Azula asked.

"No, I sought someone's help." Choronus admitted. "And it took me a _long_ time to do even that."

"Why did you?" Azula asked.

"My anger got the better of me and I hurt someone I care for." Choronus explained. "Anger only gets you so far kid, then it burns you from the inside out. That's what I see happening to you, and I don't like it."

"That's what it feels like." Azula said and immediately hid her head in her lap. "Why can't I shut up?"

"Talk." Choronus said. "I think a part of you wants to talk, to let it out. So do it."

"About what?" Azula asked, "I wouldn't know where to begin."

"My therapist told me to start where it feels natural to start." Choronus said. "So what feels natural to you?"

"My father." Azula sniffed. "I failed him."

"How?" Choronus asked.

"He gave me the title of Fire Lord, and he was about to purge the Earth Kingdom when Zuko beat me in an Agni Ki for the crown." Azula said. "If he ever gets free...he'll kill me."

"Okay..." Choronus nodded as he tried his best to take in what amounted to his companion admitting to being the daughter of Hitler, as well as being an abused child.

"You don't like that?" Azula asked, tears welling in her eyes.

"I don't like that you firmly believe your father would kill you, or that you were put into a position where you had to fight family." Choronus growled with a hint of anger.

"It'd have been better if I _were_ dead. I'm a monster anyway." Azula sniffled as she seemed to pull the tears back.

"Geeze, who told you that?" Choronus asked.

"I figured it out." Azula said. "My mother was always afraid of me. I always wanted to hurt things as a child...and I love to watch people squirm."

"See, I have a hard time imagining a mother fearing or hating their child." Choronus sighed. "Are you sure she felt that way?"

"Just because your parents loved you..." Azula started to angrily retort, but she clammed up when she noticed the sorcerer's anger flaring purple and gold.

"My parents were killed when I was six months old. I was taken by force by the cult that raised me." Choronus revealed in a curt tone.

"I..." Azula looked down.

"It's all right." Choronus said. "Tell you what, when we find out what's going on, I'll see if I can't convince your brother to let you talk with your mom."

"She's gone." Azula sniffed. "She ran away after killing my grandfather."

"Wow." Choronus shook his head in disbelief. "Yeah, we need a professional now."

"She did it to save my brother from being killed as a punishment." Azula clarified.

"Holy crap, what could he have done?" Choronus asked.

"Nothing. My father wanted to be named successor to the throne because my uncle's only son died trying to take Ba Sing Sae." Azula was deadpan, Choronus was aghast. "His punishment was to lose his only son."

"Jesus Christ, your family's really messed in the head." Choronus blurted out. He winced as Azula looked at him with tears now streaming down her face. "Aw, kiddo, I didn't mean it like that."

"I know." Azula said, "I guess having to explain it to someone puts it in a different perspective."

"Well, we can't change the past." Choronus sighed. "Christ on a skewer, I hope we can get you some help though."

"Why would anyone help me? I took over cities, banished people, killed people. If I'm not a monster, then who is?" She was screaming at Choronus as she fell into his lap crying. The sorcerer threw his arms up, not knowing how to deal with an emotionally distressed teenage girl.

He didn't know whether or not she wanted an answer or if she was just beating herself up, but he gave her his best answer. "The person who discourages love is a heartless being, the one who encourages hate is a monster."

"That sounds like my father and grandfather." Azula pushed herself out of Choronus' lap and immediately distanced herself from him.

"There you go." Choronus said.

"How do I change?" Azula asked.

"You can't." Choronus sighed. "Not all the way, anyway. Too much of who your is already ingrained into your soul."

"So I'm doomed?" Azula seemed to tear up again. "I can't ever get rid of this pain, this horrific emptiness and confusion? It's been two years! I just want the pain gone."

"I doubt the pain will leave." Choronus said. "But emptiness, fill your life with meaning. Confusion is harder, but in a way simpler."

"Huh?" Azula asked, her eyes were puffed from crying.

"It's individual." Choronus explained. "Get some sleep I'll take first watch."

"Ok..." Azula nodded as she went into the tent and quickly fell asleep.

Choronus, on the other hand, lamented on the fact that he had been chosen to come here. He was gradually getting the feeling that his purpose here was to help the girl, which made no sense to him. He was not trained in psychology, so how was he supposed to help her? And why did he have to help her? Was she needed for something big? Still, as he looked at the tent, he knew he wouldn't be giving up on the girl inside it. Hell, the girl was born into an even more batshit broken existence than his own or the Batman's.

He sighed and looked to the stars. "Horus, watch the girl or I'll have to seriously kneecap you."

* * *

AN: Unfortunately I've lost the next 11 chapters due to a harddrive crash. I'll be spending my time reconstructing them, and all my info the inVASION. If you are reading this story please feel free to leave feedback though. It helps. A lot.


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